Orioles announce 2025 international amateur signing class

The team revealed 22 official signings as this year’s period opens up.

January 15 marks the start of MLB’s international signing period. The stakes are high this year, with Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki being included as part of this process. The Orioles are not involved in the Sasaki sweepstakes, so it’s business as usual for them. They kicked off their signing class for this year with a group of 22 players announced.

As has been the norm over the last few signing periods, the Orioles class was headlined by one seven-figure bonus player and filled out with a variety of others. The top name, according to The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka, is Dominican shortstop José Luis Peña, whose signing bonus comes in at $1 million. Peña is ranked as the #44 player in the signing class by Baseball America. Born on August 16, 2008, he is one of the youngest eligible players in this signing period. Yes, we are all old.

This is the fifth straight signing period where the Orioles have given out a bonus of at least $1 million to a player. One of the previous million-dollar signings, catcher Samuel Basallo, has developed into one of the better prospects in all of baseball. Others have not hit at that level of success yet. These are lottery tickets in the form of 16- and 17-year old players who are signing with teams. There is a long way to go to the majors and results don’t show immediately.

Each team has a total bonus allotment available that it can choose to spend, or not, as it wishes. For the Orioles, that’s $6,908,600. Several teams have about $7.5 million available and most have less than that.

Some teams commit multiple million dollars to a single player. That will be happening with whoever signs Sasaki. Among the Latin American players, the highest reported bonus I’ve seen is a $3.7 million bonus given to shortstop Andrew Salas, whose brother Ethan is one of the top 20 or so prospects in the game right now. Andrew Salas is signing with the Marlins. The Orioles have yet to play at the high levels of this market.

Baseball America on Peña:

Peña has started to layer on strength to a still-wiry frame (6-foot-1, 160 pounds), maintaining a line-drive approach but with more carry off his bat now to occasionally leave the yard to his pull side. He has the traits to stick at shortstop as a plus-plus runner with a solid-average arm, good hands and footwork.

Mike Elias loves collecting shortstops. His million dollar players have mostly fit within that same description, players with positive traits who still have a lot of development to do and hopefully will be able to do enough of it in the Orioles system to become major leaguers some day. These are all long-term plays. If the Orioles are really lucky, we’ll be hearing about one of these players as a top prospect in 2028 and seeing him in Baltimore in 2030.

The Orioles press release announcing the signing class included more details about eight of their players, including Peña. The social media account dedicated to Orioles player development shared a few of these players introducing themselves:

Baro’s bonus is $500,000, according to Baseball America. They note that he’s “strong with broad shoulders … should get a chance to stick at shortstop, though given how big he could get, third base is another potential landing spot.”

Gómez received a mention in the Baseball America summary of the Orioles signing class as well, noting that he signed for a $750,000 bonus. They said that his power stands out, and as an average runner, he’ll be destined for an outfield corner.

Others highlighted by the Orioles press release:

C Yeison Acosta

Acosta, 17, is a switch-hitting catcher out of Gramma, Cuba who projects to be a plus defender behind the plate. He looks comfortable defensively, sits low with good catching skills, and throws the ball well. Offensively, he has the same swing from both sides of the plate, going direct to the ball, and showing a good approach.

C Jose Flores

Flores, 17, a catcher from Guatire, Venezuela, has an athletic build and durable body. He projects to hit for average with good defensive skills. He has a sure hand, receives easily, and looks comfortable behind the plate. Flores has a quick transfer and an accurate arm that will be a plus. Offensively, he swings through the ball with decent bat speed and has a line drive type of power. He shows a good approach at the plate and good plate coverage.

The full list of 22 signings announced by the team, with country listed and in alphabetical order by last name:

• C Yeison Acosta – Cuba
• SS Meykel Baro – Cuba
• C Ricardo Chirinos – Venezuela
• OF Fabian Cordero – Venezuela
• RHP Alexander Diaz – Dominican Republic
• SS Jorge Drullard – Dominican Republic
• C Jose Flores – Venezuela
• OF Johanse Gómez – St. Thomas
• 3B Frandy Guillen – Dominican Republic
• OF Rayner Herrera – Dominican Republic
• RHP Enmanuel Peña – Dominican Republic
• SS José Luis Peña – Dominican Republic
• C Victor Saez – Venezuela
• OF Lisandro Sanchez – Dominican Republic
• RHP Laurens Sosa – Dominican Republic
• RHP Samuel Teran – Venezuela
• SS Ronald Terrero – Cuba
• LHP Darlin Valencio – Dominican Republic
• RHP Benjamin Vasquez – Dominican Republic
• C Manuel Vasquez – Venezuela
• LHP Yunior Villavicencio – Cuba
• LHP Kelvin Zapata – Dominican Republic

This is a larger number of pitchers than the team has signed on day 1 of the period in recent years. Last year’s opening class of 19 players had just four pitchers in the group, whereas this year there are eight.

International scouting director Koby Perez told reporters that there is some money left over in the pool (probably about $1 million) which the Orioles like to leave available in case something unusual happens and a player is either a late-bloomer or a late arrival into eligibility.